


Can't Replace Home

by boysandstars



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (i say when i used google translate), ALSO PIDGE AND LANCE FRIENDSHIP IS MY WEAKNESS, Blow Jobs, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Gay Keith (Voltron), Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, It makes lance homesick, Lance (Voltron) Speaks Spanish, Lance (Voltron) is a Dork, Latino Lance (Voltron), M/M, Mutual Pining, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Shiro needs a break, Smut, Swearing, Um theyre on another planet, also, also this is my first fic for this pairing so sorry if it sucks ass, always ludicro means mimic in latin, bird and bird brain, look at me with all my knowledge and cleverness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-29
Updated: 2016-08-29
Packaged: 2018-08-11 16:57:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7900609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boysandstars/pseuds/boysandstars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lance and Keith are sent to another planet that seems to have Earth-like plantation and water to retrieve samples for testing in hopes of maybe being able to take a break from food goo. Of course, things don't go as planned and they end up stuck on a planet that wants nothing more than to give them both a home (and also kill them). </p><p>OR</p><p>Lance is homesick and Keith thinks he has no home but somehow they find one in each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can't Replace Home

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So this is my first time writing for this pairing and fandom so I hope it does okay. 
> 
> Also this is un-beta'd so if you see any mistakes please tell me!

It was going to be a simple mission: Pidge had located a planet that had what looked like more earth-quality food and water on it and said someone should go over to check it out since they knew everyone was growing very tired of food goo.

“It could improve our health, too,” Pidge informed everyone as they all stood in the control room, reviewing more data on the planet. “As, um, nice as food goo is, I’m not real sure it’s good for our human physiology. We need actual Earth food, with actual food groups. Like meat and grains and fruits.”

“Stop, please. You’re making my mouth water just thinking about it.” Hunk cried dramatically, gripping his rumbling stomach.  
Pidge continued.

“We shouldn’t need more than two people to go and retrieve some of the items down there and bring them back for testing.”

  
Hunk rubbed his hands together. “How about me and Lance then? When do we leave?” He was turning on his heel to go suit up when Coran whipped him around.

“No you don’t! You have to stay here and help me fix the food machine that you broke when trying to make one of your pseudo-earth meals. No exploring for you.” He said sternly, pushing towards the door of the control room.

Hunk made whimpering pleas of help to his fellow paladins who all directed their attention back on Pidge as he was forced out of the room.

“So, who’s gonna go then?” Lance asked. He was lent up against the control panel, hands tucked into his jacket pockets.

“You and Keith can take this mission,” Shiro answered. He waited for the inevitable reply that would come from the boy.

“Wait, what? No way. Can’t I take Pidge or you? Or literally anyone else?” Lance protested, arms gesturing to the other paladins.

“I have to stay here and review more data for the surrounding planets. If this one has food and water like that then maybe so do the ones in its solar system.”

“Shiro and I are planning which planets we must free from Zarkon’s rule. It requires our undivided attention if we are to be successful. You two are the only ones who have the time to go scout out the planet.”

“Time? What time? I have things to do too!” Lance shouted.

Shiro raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

Lance mouth closed. Then opened. Then closed. Then said: “Um, training?”

“Well, think of this as training. Bonding training to form Voltron easier,” Shiro replied with a smile.

“I’d rather bond with my foot!”

“You’re foot's already bonded with you, idiot,” Keith said, rolling his eyes.

Lance whipped around faster than lighting, finger already ready to point at Keith.

“You know what?” Lance began, ready to lay down what he thought was going to be some serious shit talking (but was probably just weak, kindergarten-level insults).

“What?”

Lance stopped mid inhale. His lipped creased into a thin line, so thin they were almost not there, Keith thought. His eyes squinted, neck sticking out longer than it usually did, his finger slightly wiggling.

“You suck.” Lance mumbled through clenched shut teeth.

Keith scoffed. He was caught between amusement and annoyance.

“Wow, nice one. Got me real bad.”

Lance’s face flushed and he spluttered before yelling, “Whatever, asshole. At least I have a fashion sense.”

“Not much of it, apparently.”

“More than you do!”

“I don’t need to be fashionable when I’m actually skillful.”

Lance and Keith were close enough by then that their chests were mere centimeters from touching. Keith’s eyebrows were knitted so close together that they looked like a unibrow and Lance's eyes were almost completely closed from how hard he was squinting.

“Enough,” Shiro said, stepping in between them, a hand placed on either of their shoulders.

Shiro sighed. He felt old, older than he should, and he definitely felt like he shouldn’t have to be refereeing Keith and Lance but then again he also shouldn’t have to be defending the universe and yet, here he was. The two scowled at each other over his shoulders. Shiro pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Just go down there, bring back some food and water, and don’t kill each other. Not that hard, right?”

“I don’t know,” Lance grumbled.

“ _Right?_ ” Shiro said again with more emphasis. Children.

Lance looked away, feeling slightly embarrassed. “Right.” Keith did the same.

“Good,” Shiro crossed his arms over his chest. “Now go get in your lions. Report back when you get there and when you leave.”

Lance and Keith stalked silently to the hangar together.

+++

When they arrived, Lance was actually really surprised with how homely the planet felt. It resembled Earth almost to a T. Lance could have sworn that they had actually managed to get all the way back to Earth. Except this planet seemed to have no signs of any human-like life on it.

“Did Pidge say if anything lived here?” He asked Keith as they landed in a field of tall grass and bright flowers.

“They said it showed no signs of life other than plantation but Allura reminded us to still be cautious.” Keith answered while he climbed out of Red. Lance followed suit.

“Gotcha. Sweet, we get a whole planet to ourselves!”

Keith side eyed him but said nothing as he trekked towards the forest.

They came across a thicket of large trees. The trunks were easily fifty feet in circumference and the branches looked about the same size as Keith was. On the branches were bright green leaves shaped like giant almonds. Lance touched the bark, feeling how firm it was. How _alive_ it was. Not in the scary-alien-tree way, but in the plant way. In the way that it wasn’t humanoid or poisonous. It was tree that had leaves that went through photosynthesis like a normal tree and that probably changed color and wilted away in the winter. Like a normal tree.

Lance could have almost cried from seeing how normal the tree was if it wasn’t for the fact like Keith was telling him to hurry the hell up so they could find some food and water.

Lance frowned, flicking Keith off behind his back before leaving the tree and running to catch up to the other paladin.

Behind them, without their noticing, the tree glowed a soft orange color in the spot where Lance had placed his hand. The color faded to a dark crimson, flowing through the cracks in the trunk and in the veins of the leaves.

+++

“This is such a stupid idea,” Keith murmured indignantly.

“Shut up. This is the only way.” Lance retorted, wobbling unstably on Keith’s shoulders.

He knew this was a bad idea, a really bad idea, but it was the only idea they had. Lance had pointed out some coconut-looking fruit on one of the branches of the trees while they were walking through the forest. Keith appeared genuinely impressed with Lance’s spotting for about two seconds, long enough that Lance thought he might actually get a compliment out of the red paladin, but that was ruined by Keith’s eyebrows drawing together and the chiding tone in his voice as he asked Lance how they were going to get the fruit out of the tree since they had no ladder and the branches were too far up for them to climb on them.

Then Lance, with all his genius, suggested that Keith lift him up on his shoulders so he could reach for one of the lower branches. Keith reluctantly agreed after minutes of persuasion. Half because he wanted Lance to shut the fuck up and half because he also couldn’t think of a better way of retrieving them.

“Why am I on the bottom, though?” Keith asked, wincing as Lance’s knee accidentally collided with his jaw.

“Oh, I think you know why you’re on the bottom, Keith,” Lance replied from above and Keith didn’t have to look to see the dumb smirk on his face.

He was used to Lance’s flirtatious nature but a blush still crept unto his cheeks when he fully registered the comment. He decided not to give Lance the benefit of the situation and ignored him.

“Wouldn’t it make more sense for you to hold me since I’m smaller?”

Lance’s fingertips grazed a branch. He lifted himself off Keith higher, hand tangling in Keith’s hair and pressing down on his head as he stretched for the branch.

“Are you actually admitting to being shorter than me finally?” He teased, groaning as his fingers lost their grip. Keith said nothing. Lance smiled because he knew he had made Keith realize what he had said. “Anyways, I’m skinnier so it’s easier for you to lift me. Just chill, man, I’ve almost got it.”

Another minute of struggling and Lance got a grip on the branch. He pulled himself up, swinging his legs over the sides and scooting down it to the trunk. Lance carefully stood up, one arm on the branch above him and the other placed firmly against the trunk of the tree. Lance pulled himself up. Then again. And again. He was nearly to the branch with the fruit.

He glanced down at Keith. The other boy looked worried as he watched Lance sway on the branch. Lance grinned widely and sent him a thumbs up.

“Don’t worry, Keith. I’ll be down in no time—”

Lance was falling. Fast. Hard. Right to the ground. He didn’t even have time to register he was falling because it was so sudden. He felt air. Air forced from his lungs. Air around him as his body was pulled to the ground. His eyes closed as he braced for impact, a scream torn from his throat.  
Lance fell on soft ground. Soft, warm, breathing ground. There was a hand coiled around his waist and another around his chest. Hot air hit the back of his neck in short bursts, bursts that moved in rhythm with the heaving ground beneath him. He quickly sat up and turned to look beneath him. Keith was lying beneath him breathing heavily.

“Oh my god,” Lance squeaked as he flipped around to lean over Keith, his hand flying to the other’s face to examine it. “Oh my god, are you okay?”

Keith shook his head. “’M fine. Just.”

“What? Just what?” Lance was worried Keith had broken something. He had caught Lance who had probably fallen on him from at least forty feet up.

“Just get out from between my legs,” Keith breathed, glaring up at Lance from under his bangs.

Lance smiled deviously. He slid himself up further, straddling Keith’s hips. Lance leaned down so his face was closer to Keith’s, his shadow darkening the other’s face. Keith look did not look amused with his antics, mouth tilting in a half-frown and one eyebrow cocked up.

“I thought you liked it when I’m between your legs?” Lance whispered, voice low and husky.

Keith felt his face heating up so he did what he thought was the best way to avoid Lance finding that out. He chucked the boy off him and stood up, dusting off his armor and begun to walk away.

He heard Lance scoff behind him and mutter, “What the fuck, bro?”

“Come on, we have to find some different food. I am never letting you climb trees again.”

Lance ran up beside him, hands outstretched. “It wasn’t my fault! It was like the tree shook me off, dude. I don’t know how I could have fallen.”

“Because you’re a klutz,” Keith replied in monotone.

Lance frowned. “No I’m not. And that’s not it. It was weird, I’m telling you.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“You’re just mad because I got to climb the tree.”

“Shut up.”

+++

They eventually found a stream of crystal clear liquid surrounded by more normal looking plants. Bushes and ferns and water lilies that were in full bloom. Lance felt a tingle in his chest as he took in the site. He knew if they found a beach that he would lose all composure.

Lance bent over to reach his hand into the water but was yanked back by Keith.

“What?” He yelled.

“We don’t know what’s in it or what it is, dumbass. For all we know that could be flesh eating poison.” Keith dug around in the baggy that Pidge had given him to put samples in.

Lance stared at Keith with a face that spoke the words he didn’t. _Are you kidding me right now? It’s a fucking stream. A stream, Keith. Just chill out for ten seconds and look at this nice ass stream._

“No, Lance.”

Lance huffed, sitting down on the bank and picking some of the plants to put in a case while Keith carefully used a syringe to draw out the water from the stream into a vile.

It began to get suffocating from it being so quiet so Lance decided to speak. Like always.

“This place really reminds me of home. Like crazy reminds me of it.” He said, plucking some red berries from a bush.

Keith hummed, not really paying attention.

“I remember going camping one year with my family. I was super young but I can still remember a lot of it. Like the camper we rented that my mom and dad spent months saving for and it only had two beds. I was forced to sleep on the floor since I was the youngest at the time. My sister got the couch and my grandparents got the other bed. It was awful and hot and the bugs would not shut the hell up at night but man, it was fun.” Lance smiled fondly as he recalled the memories. Keith said nothing but was beginning to listen more intently.

“We went down to the river and my older sister and I swam while my parents cooked on this shitty little grill my dad had bought that we all thought he would never actually use,”

He laughed and shook his head, “You know, he still has that ugly thing tucked away in the garage. Its right there with my first bike and my sister’s sports trophies…” Lance faded off.

It was silent for a long time. Keith knew that family was a hard subject for Lance. He had the hardest time getting through stories about his family because every time he would remember where they were, how far away they were, and he’d get too choked up to keep talking. Keith pitied and envied him. He was jealous that Lance had people who he loved so much that he couldn’t speak because his heart ached so badly that it caused his whole body to shut down in pain.

Keith wondered what that was like, wondered if he would feel the same way if he was ever separated from the rest of them. Sometimes Keith thought about them returning to earth and his chest felt tight. Would they all abandon him? They surely wouldn’t do it intentionally but everyone else had family besides him. The only family Keith has is them.

And sometimes—sometimes late at night Keith stares up at the ceiling in the dark and just for a moment, a fraction of a second, he thinks about them never returning. About them all just living out their lives together in the castle, fighting the good fight and exploring space. Then he blocks that thought out because it’s selfish and he’s reminded of how selfish it is every time Lance leaves the room after talking about his mom; every time he catches Pidge staring at their picture of them and Matt; every time Hunk stares at the food that replicates the dish his mother taught him; every time Shiro stares off into the stars around them with a glossy, faraway look in his eyes when he sees Allura or Coran look at the space map and pass Earth; every time he is reminded of how not alone they are and how alone he is.

Keith clenched his fist. He couldn’t look at Lance. He felt too ashamed.

Eventually, Lance continues telling his story of their great camping trip. He tells about abuelita scolding a deer, about abuelo teaching him how to catch fish right from the river. He goes on and on about how his sister almost let him get swept away by the current—“I almost died, Keith! Could you imagine a world without me?” “That’s what I do to sleep at night.” “That’s rude.”—and how his mama sang by the campfire every night while his papa played guitar.  
The whole time Keith was smiling. While Lance’s stories about his family made him feel sad they also made him happy. He felt like he was somehow reliving these stories through Lance’s eyes. Like they were his own stories that he was telling. And when Lance told stories it was one of the few times where Keith actually liked hearing him talk nonstop. Keith could sit for hours just listening to Lance talk about his life back home.

“And then abuelita lit the rug on fire! We had to pay forty bucks for that. Forty bucks for some stupid stair rug! Can you believe that?” Lance cried exasperatedly.

He and Keith had given up on collecting samples and were laying down a few feet up from the river bank. They were staring up at the sky on their backs. Lance had a hand behind his head and the other on his stomach while Keith laid with both his legs and arms sprawled out. Keith was laughing, the air smelt sweet like flowers, and the ground wasn’t too hard. Lance felt happy.

“Man, I miss my family,” He admitted, voice soft.

Keith turned his head to look at Lance. His could barely see his face through the grass but he saw enough of it to see it was sad. And beautiful. Keith sort of liked how Lance looked at that moment, when he wasn’t making funny faces or looking stupid trying to appear a kind of hot he wasn’t. Lance wasn’t hot, he was beautiful. His eyes sparkled with tears. It looked like he had a whole night sky of stars embedded in his irises. Keith wanted to stare at them for the rest of his life.

“I’m sorry, Lance,” Keith whispered back.

Lance gave him a sad smile before looking back at the stars.

“My family would really like you.”

Keith furrowed his eyebrows. “You think?”

He smiled again, this one a little happier.

“Yeah, of course they would. My sister would totally try to talk shit with you. And my mom, god, Keith, she would try to feed you so much food that you would probably throw up. And my abuelita’s a bit of a hardass so you and her would get along great.”

As he talked, Lance grabbed Keith’s hand and laced their fingers together. It was so sudden that Keith didn’t even have time to react. He almost thought of pulling his hand away but then he looked over and saw the giant smile on Lance’s face as he talked about how Keith and his dad would bond over knives and conspiracy theories and he couldn’t find a single reason in the world why he would let go of Lance’s hand. So instead he squeezed it, laid back down, and stared at the stars.

_The stars._

Keith felt it—the feeling that something wasn’t right. He suddenly remembered why they had come here. They weren’t supposed to be here anymore. Where was his helmet? And the bag?

“Lance,” He rushed out, sitting up. Keith didn’t pull his hand away. “Lance, stop talking.”

“What?” He looked at Keith with starry eyes and a concerned expression.

Lance rubbed circles into Keith’s hand and Keith felt weak. He wanted to lay back down again, wanted to star gaze and listen to more stories. He felt so tired. Lance leaned in closer and touched Keith’s face with his other hand.

“Are you okay?” God, Lance was being so tender, so gentle. Keith wanted to kiss him.

Lance was closing his eyes. Keith leaned in.

No. This wasn’t right.

“Lance, no. Stop. Remember why we’re here?” Keith pulled away, gripping Lance’s hand tighter.

Lance pouted childishly. Keith thought he looked adorable and wanted to kiss his pouted lips but he shook the thoughts away. Fireflies buzzed around them, their glow illuminated Lance’s already soft features in a light that made him look like a godly being.

A firefly landed on Lance’s nose.

“Shit!” He screamed, shaking the firefly away. “What the hell? How long have we been here? And where did all these fireflies come from? I thought there wasn’t life on here other than plants and shit? And also, aren’t fireflies an Earth thing?” Lance rapid fired questions at Keith while he ran a hand through his messy hair.

  
Lance looked down at their intertwine fingers. Even with the dim light, Keith could see the blush spreading across Lance’s face as he became very aware of the hand gripping his own. Keith also blushed. They pulled their hands apart.

“Hey, where’s my helmet?” Lance looked all around them but couldn’t find it. He also couldn’t look at Keith’s face.

Lance did find the bag, which he chucked over his shoulder, grateful that it felt full of their samples still. He didn’t want to make Pidge more angry by showing up not only late but empty handed.

“I don’t know. Mine is missing too, though, so this can’t be good news.”

Keith stood up and offered his hand to Lance, who took it awkwardly in his while averting his eyes away from Keith’s. They both stood around glancing over the area one last time before starting to walk into the forest. Keith activated his shield to use for light and Lance followed his example.

“We need to head back to the lions,” Keith said and they marched forward.

+++

Pidge fucked up. Bad. Really bad.

Keith and Lance had been gone way longer than they should have been. Everyone was back in the control room, all doing their own forms of anxious pacing. Shiro was tapping his fingers against a chair; Hunk was chewing his finger nails to the bone; Allura was pacing back and forth, occasionally looking at the control panel; Coran was talking into the speaker that was supposed to be connected with Lance and Keith’s helmets but getting no replies; and Pidge was reading more data on the planet they had sent their friends to.

“What was the name of the planet again, Pidge?” Allura inquired, coming up to peer over Pidge’s shoulder.

They looked at the screen on the left. “Um, it says here it’s called Ludicrosus.”

Coran turned around and shot Allura a look which she returned. A look of dread.

“We must get them out of there now,” Allura announced. Hunk and Shiro jumped into action, already suited up.

“What’s wrong?”

Allura bit her lip as she stared at the hologram of the planet on the computer.

“Ludicrosus is not a real planet. It is actually more of a living organism with extraordinary mimicry abilities. It takes the form of a place you love most or a place you would love to visit and lures you in that way. Then it slowly starts absorbing your memories in order to trap you on it forever. I’ve heard tales of many soldiers and explorers being trapped there after the planet takes on the form of their homes. They forget that it’s not really their true home planets and never leave.

  
Unfortunately finding Ludicrosus won’t be easy as it has probably camouflaged itself by now since it has new prey in its grasped. We must leave now if we are to find our friends.” Allura explained. She watched as fear was painted across the paladins faces.

Pidge felt sick to their stomach. What kind of planet had they led their friends to?

+++

Lance had sworn they had passed that tree already. And that bush. And, yes, that was the same stream he had seen fifteen minutes ago!

“Keith, we’re going in circles.” He groaned. His feet ached, his head was pounding, and he felt so tired he could fall asleep right on the ground.

“We have to keep going,” Keith insisted, pushing his way passed the same pair of bushes he had pushed through earlier.

Lance stopped, resting his hands on his knees. His eyes were closed so he couldn’t see it but he could hear Keith approaching him. A hand rested on his back.

“Lance,” Keith sounded like he really did feel bad.

“I know. Just give me a minute. Not everyone has the stamina you do.” He heard Keith breathe out a laugh.

They were back at it again. This time Lance led them. He chose to go every opposite way Keith had in hopes that it would lead them anywhere but back to that damned stream.

  
And it did. His path led them straight to a cottage.

“What the…” Lance trailed off, looking astonished at the little building.

It was white and had vines growing up the chipped walls. The roof looked like it could use some work but still looked stable. The door was a dark brown with a scratched golden handle that was dented. In front of it was a garden filled with weeds and all types of flowers. From lilies to roses to irises. It definitely looked like a fixer upper but felt very cozy too.

“I wonder if anyone lives there.” Lance stepped along the stone path that led to the front door, curiosity getting the better of him.

“Lance,” Keith whisper-shouted, his bayard already out and ready to go. “Lance, don’t. We don’t know what could be in there.”

“Hopefully a bed.” Lance retorted as he continued walking.

Keith sighed, following behind the other paladin, eyeing the area around them.

Lance knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again, harder, and called out to anyone inside. No answer. He cautiously turned the doorknob in his hand. The door creaked open, revealing the inside of the very much empty cottage.

“See, look. No harm no foul.”

Keith still felt uneasy as they had stepped into the cottage.

It was small with only two rooms. One with a single bed in it and another with a stove and ice box.

“Quaint.”

“This looks like what Abraham Lincoln would have lived in.”

“You’re so judgmental, Keith.”

Lance headed straight for the ice box. He opened it and found absolutely nothing. Lance frowned and slammed the door closed. Lance heard his stomach groan in anger at the sight of no food. He rubbed it and flung himself on the bed melodramatically.

Keith rolled his eyes but also felt hunger arising in him. When had been the last time they ate? He paced around the room, occasionally looking out the window before he remembered the bag. He dove down and took it off Lance’s back. Lance squirmed and muttered how rude he was into the blanket.

“Sit up. I have food.”

Lance got up in a heartbeat. He licked his lips and rubbed his hands together as Keith pulled out food from the bag.

“Cuál es la especial de hoy,Chef?”

Keith stared at him, eyebrows raised. “Sorry?”

Lance laughed, shaking his head. Keith hid his smile by opening the containers of food.

“Pidge told me that Hunk had packed us some snacks in case we got hungry. Luckily, snacks for Hunk are like real meals so we won’t have to go hungry tonight.”

Lance took a container of green goo, purple lumps, and blue noodle shaped food.

“Thank god for Hunk.”

+++

“Where was the last place you saw Ludicrosus?” Allura was in her suit and standing at her controls for the castle.

“Here,” Pidge pointed to the right side of the space map. Allura nodded.

“We will begin our search there then.”

Pidge looked at Shiro and Hunk, both wearing expressions of worry. They felt shame wash over them and turned back to the map.

“I hope we find them soon,” They said. Everyone nodded.

+++

Lance laid on the bed, rubbing his stomach and humming a random tune. He was tired again.

“Lance, we should continue walking,” Keith spoke but his voice conveyed the same sort of tiredness as Lance’s.

“Dude, I hate to break it to you but we’re stuck on some whacky unknown planet that keeps sending us in circles and stealing our gear and it’s nighttime. I can promise you that we won’t be going anywhere except in more circles if we go out again.” Lance pushed himself up and looked at Keith who was leaning against the wall, his eyes red with sleepiness. “So I say we should get some sleep and try again in the morning. We’re sort of useless without the lions and a flashlight.”

Keith bit the inside of his cheek. Lance was right but he still didn’t like it. He felt uneasy being here. Mainly because he felt so comfortable. It was weird. He couldn’t recall a time where he ever felt this comfortable, this content to just stay here and look at the stars and listen to Lance tell his stories.

Keith gave in. He sighed and got off the wall.

“Okay.”

Lance grinned so bright it almost lit up the room. Keith’s stomach lurched.

“But we leave first thing in the morning.”

Lance nodded vigorously and gave a salute.

Keith was going to ask for a pillow but was stopped when he saw Lance beginning to take off his armor. Keith raised his eyebrows so high they disappeared behind his hair.

“Lance?”

“Yes?”

“What are you doing?”

Lance looked at him like he had asked a dumb question that had an obvious answer.

“You don’t seriously expect me to sleep in my gear do you?”

And now that he had mentioned it, no, Keith didn’t.

“No. Sorry.”

Lance went back to undressing. Keith watched him for a while. He studied the way Lance slid off each piece of armor, stacking it all in a pile on the floor. White and blue forming a small metal mountain at the end of the bed. Then he watched Lance peel off the tight undershirt, exposing his dark skin that was littered with small scars from battles, and from life before this, too.

Keith finally saw how lean Lance was. His waist was slim, rib cage prominent when he stretched up to take off the shirt. Keith could see every little bump and divot it created in his skin. It made Lance look like a land filled with hills and mountains and valleys and Keith wanted to map them all out. He wanted to smooth his hands over Lance’s chest, trail them all the way down his stomach, wrap them around his hips, caress his thighs, stroking his hands up and down and up and down until Lance was calling out his name and begging for him to _please, god, please touch me._

No, Keith caught himself. Not okay, not okay at all, he repeated in his head. You don’t like Lance, he chanted like a mantra. Lance is dumb and annoying and he thinks of you as a rival, he reminded himself. But he’s so beautiful and kind and funny, he also reminded himself. Keith hated himself. He glanced at Lance who was staring at him.

  
Keith’s face felt like it was on fire. He turned away and looked at the wood paneled wall in front of him. His heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest. Keith’s whole body was warm to the point of being uncomfortable. He stripped himself of his armor quickly, putting it in a neat pile at the corner of the room.

He stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, still wearing his underclothing. Keith rubbed the back of his neck.

“Can I borrow a pillow?” He asked Lance, not looking at him.

“What? No way.”

Keith went to say something back but Lance cut him off.

“Just come sleep in the bed with me.”

Keith looked at Lance. Lance who wore nothing but his boxers (which were blue, so cliché) and an innocent look of pure confusion to Keith asking to sleep on the floor on his face.

Keith swallowed hard then moved to the side of the bed.

Fuck it, he thought as Lance lifted up the covers, sliding over to wall so Keith could crawl in. Fuck everything.

Keith laid on his side, facing Lance, and Lance faced him. They stared at each other. Lance stared at Keith; Keith stared at Lance. The moon danced across Lance’s face, highlighting his cheeks and nose. Keith saw stars in his eyes again. Eyes that were sad and happy, playful and serious, annoying and funny, and always beautiful. Keith couldn’t stop looking at Lance. Drinking him in like he was dying of thirst. This thirst felt unquenchable though.

Keith wanted to touch him. So he did. He lifted a hand up to place on Lance’s cheek. The other boy leaned into the touch, fluttering his eyes shut. Keith watched as Lance grabbed his wrist while his face turned and then pressed his lips into Keith’s open palm.

Keith lost it.

He surged forward, one hand cradling Lance’s neck and the other his face. Lance pressed his hand open palmed against Keith’s chest, fingers tugging against the fabric, and put his other on Keith’s forearm.

Their lips met.

Keith saw waves crashing and water filling up all around him. Lance saw fire dancing, twirling around his body and licking at his feet. The kiss was messy, sloppy, a disaster. It was a reflection of them. Keith couldn’t get enough. He wanted to devour Lance. Wanted to swallow him whole. Lance pulled Keith so close that their bodies flushed up against one another and every part of them was touching. He wanted to be closer even then. Close enough so he could never let Keith go.

The only thoughts that ran through their heads were: _more, more, more._

Keith moved to hover over Lance. The kiss broke as he looked down at the boy beneath him. Lance’s eyes were hooded with arousal and exhaustion, lips swollen from kissing, cheeks tinted a dark rosy color.

“You’re so beautiful,” Keith whispered. “So damn beautiful.”

Lance smiled, the blush growing darker. He lent up and kissed Keith again. And again. And again.

Keith was putting his weight on his elbow, his other hand snaking down in between him and Lance to palm at the boy through his briefs. Lance gasped into his mouth and Keith smiled. Lance bucked up his hips, rubbing them against Keith’s palm as he begged for _more, more, more._ Keith obliged him.

Lance tangled his hand in Keith’s hair and pulled when Keith licked his hand multiple times then wrapped it around Lance’s length, stroking it slowly, teasing him, pressing gentle kisses to Lance’s bare neck and chest. Lance moaned in his ear, sending shivers down his spine. Keith twisted his hand, rubbing the palm over the tip of his cock.

“Dios mío,” Lance cried as his hips jerked upwards.

Keith stroked harder, faster, wanting to bring as much pleasure as he could to Lance. He smeared precum all over his dick and balls, which he fondled and squeezed occasionally. Lance was a mess of moans and foreign curses beneath him. He jerked his hips up with each stroke, body quivering from the sensations of being jacked off and kissed and licked.

  
Keith bit down on Lance’s collarbone and that was it.

Lance was seeing stars. Stars in the sky, stars in Keith’s eyes, stars in his own mind. His eyes closed shut and his mouth opened wide as he whimpered and gasped out:

“Te amo, Keith. Te amo tanto, Keith. Tan jodidamente mucho.”

Keith kissed him and it was like searing flames against his lips. It burnt him, charring away his flesh and worries, burning deep down in his soul. Lance felt warm rolling down his softening member. He felt Keith pull back, watched as he licked the cum from his wrist to the tips of his finger. Lance shivered, his body covered with goosebumps, one last moan escaping his lips.

Keith kissed all over his face. Lance smiled as he met his lips.

“C’mere,” Lance mumbled, he sounded sleepy.

Keith laid down as Lance slid underneath the covers, his hands tugging down on Keith’s boxers and pants. Keith didn’t understand until he did. He felt lips that brushed over his aching cock, felt hot breath blow on the tip, and the wet heat sink down on him, engulfing his tip, quarter of his cock, half way, and then down to the base. A hand came up to caress his balls softly. Keith’s hands clutched the bed sheets, pulling on them so hard he could hear them snap from underneath the bed. He’d fix it later.

“Fuck, fuck me,” He breathed out as Lance had begun to swallow around him.

This throat, Keith thought, this throat will be how I go. Lance will have an awkward time explaining Keith’s untimely death.

Lance bobbed as quick as he could, then as slow as he could, and he kept changing his pace. He licked and sucked and swallowed, from tip to base. He licked long stripes up and down the sides and flicked his tongue at the slit. Lance swirled his tongue around the head, pushing around the foreskin. His hand covered what he wasn’t sucking on. Lance tasted the precum as it mixed with his own saliva.

He removed his hand from Keith’s balls, running it up his thigh then he reached up to intertwine their fingers. He squeezed as a warning before plunging down and taking Keith all the way in his mouth until his nose brushed against Keith’s skin. He swallowed a few times and then Keith was coming in hot bursts down his throat.

Tears stung at his eyes as he swallowed every drop. Keith cursed, bucking his hips wildly, one hand clutching Lance’s and the other tugging his hair. Lance hummed in contentment around his draining cock, milking him through his high.

When he was spent and his dick was soft, Lance took off his mouth and came up from under the covers with a Cheshire smile. He quickly swooped down and kissed Keith, allowing the boy to taste himself on his lips.

“Gross,” Keith said breathlessly when they broke apart.

Lance chuckled as he rested his head on Keith’s chest. He looked up into Keith’s eyes, half closed and complimenting that drowsy smile. Lance kissed him tenderly.

“I could stay here forever.”

Keith nodded in agreement. He drew the covers up over them. He wrapped his arms around Lance and nuzzled his face into his sweaty hair. Not even a full minute later was Lance snoring on top of him. Keith smiled, planting a kiss on his head before falling asleep.

+++

The team had been searching for hours. It would be morning by then. None of them had slept. Hunk had cried, Shiro looked like he was going to cry, Allura was exhausted, and Coran was falling asleep.

Pidge looked at the space map then out the windows. They were determined to find their friends. They had to. They had to.

A glance to the side and they saw it. Just a glimmer, just a slip up that lasted no more than a second (perhaps a tick), but they saw it. The same blue and green texture that looked so eerily similar to Earth’s. Pidge yelled, pointing to it. Allura saw just in time. The ship took off, speeding towards the planet-like being.

Pidge didn’t waste a second. They bolted for their lion, followed closely by the others. The paladins left the second they could and raced for the planet, landing within minutes.

  
Pidge saw the other lions, lying down with helmets resting on their mouths. Pidge saw the footsteps leading to the woods.

“There!” They yelled, running for the trees.

+++

Lance woke up to find himself tangled in sheets and Keith. He looked at the other boy who was still sleeping. He looked peaceful, face relaxed and mouth hanging open for shallow breaths to escape. Lance smiled, brushing some of his hair out of his face. He bent over and kissed the sleeping boy.

Keith’s eyelids fluttered open slowly. When he saw Lance he smiled.

“Morning, gorgeous.”

“Good morning, beautiful.”

They kissed again. Lance felt like he could kiss Keith for the rest of his life.

In the back of his mind something bothered him though. He felt like he has forgotten something. Something important. For some reason the colors black, yellow, and green floated through his hand. Then he saw Keith looking at him with large eyes and an even larger smile and the colors left his mind.

“What did you say to me last night?” Keith asked him as Lance sat up and stretched.

Keith hand lazily traced patterns into Lance’s thigh. Lance combed his fingers through Keith’s messy hair.

“I said I loved you.”

Keith stared up at him, a bit shocked, but overall happy. Lance felt a bit nervous as he watched the boy sit up next to him. Then Keith took his face in his hands and kissed him.

“I love you, too,” His lips rubbed against Lance’s as he spoke.

They were going to kiss again until they heard shouting from the woods. Lance peered out the window of the cottage with Keith. Both boys quirked their eyebrows up, silently agreeing to check out the scene.

They stepped out of the cottage once they were fully dressed, bayards at the ready and shields up. The shouting grew louder as they went into the forest.

“Lance! Keith! Guys!” Said the shouts. Three voices coming from the same direction.

Keith and Lance looked at one another. For just a split second they almost forgot again but then a voice screamed out their names so worriedly, so fearful, so filled with emotion that their memories were jolted.

“Pidge,” Lance choked out.

He faced toward the direction of the shouts.

“Pidge!” Lance screamed.

“Lance!” He heard scream back.

“Pidge! Shiro! Hunk!”

“Pidge, they’re over here!” Shiro yelled, his voice sounded closest to them.

Lance and Keith stayed put, yelling and listening for their friends. Soon they heard footsteps approaching them and paladins coming into view. Their teammates barreled at them.

  
Lance laughed as he opened his arms, expecting Hunk to jump into them, but was surprised when he felt a small body run straight into his, small arms crushing his rib cage. Lance looked down at Pidge, their face contorted into an expression of joy and pain, tears coming out of their eyes.

“I’m sorry, Lance. I’m so sorry. I—I should have researched more. I should have done more. I—we—were so worried. I’m sorry.” Pidge cried into his chest.  
Lance hugged them closely to him, rubbing their back and comforting them.

Keith sighed with relief, a momentary peace coming over him before he was pulled into a bone crushing hug by Hunk, who was also crying. Shiro stood and watched happily at all his paladins reuniting.

Keith saw Lance, happy, crying tears of joy, and smiled. He still felt it though—that sting. That resonating pain that sounded through his body.

All of that had been fake.

+++

A week later and the whole thing was practically forgotten. Besides Lance who tried to use it as leverage for every time he didn’t want to do something.

“Guys, I was stuck on a planet-person-thing and could have died there! Don’t you think I deserve a break?”

“I think I should have left you there.”

They all laughed over it and carried on. Like always. They fought, formed Voltron, Keith and Lance argued, Pidge was a snarky little shit, and Hunk always wanted better food.

Keith couldn’t completely rid himself of that feeling, the one he felt when they had been rescued. It had been seven full Earth days and he still was affected. Keith was starting to come to the conclusion he would always be affected.

For six nights Keith came out of his bedroom in the middle of the night, snuck to the control room and just stared out into space. It made him feel small and he kind of liked that. He liked the light of the stars, the ones that reminded him of Lance’s eyes. It made him relive that night over and over and over. He would never forget it.

On the seventh night Keith couldn’t sleep he did his routine, got out of bed at one in the earth morning, walked silently to the control room and was careful to not make noise when he opened the door. On the seventh night he had expected it to be empty, like usual, but when he opened the door there was Lance—sitting in a chair looking out at the stars.

Keith thought about turning around but he thought that would have been cowardly. So he walked to Lance and took a seat next him. Lance acknowledged him with a glance and a half smile.

“Hey,” Keith said.

“Hi.”

“Can’t sleep?”

Lance shook his head. Keith nodded. They sat in silence.

Keith tried to contain it, he did, but it didn’t work. He had to say something. Shakily, he had opened his mouth and forced the words from his throat. He hadn’t felt that nervous in a long time.

“About that night.”

“I meant it.”

Keith was taken aback. He raised his eyebrows. Lance looked right into his eyes.

“I meant it when I said I loved you.”

Keith didn’t know what to say. He stumbled on his words. He panicked and asked the wrong thing to ask.

“I thought you hated me?”

Lance looked hurt. Keith cursed himself internally.

“No, not at all. Well, I mean, I sort of used to. But that was because I was sick as shit of being compared to you and reminded how great you are and that I was only a pilot because your ass got kicked out from the Garrison.”

Keith didn’t do anything to warrant it but Lance still apologized for the last part.

“But I never actually hated you then. And I don’t hate you now. I love you and this is sudden and probably really weird because I'm always an ass to you and it's really because I didn't want you to know since I didn't think you would feel the same and oh my god I am a walking cliche and I don’t know if you actually felt the same or if that planet-person was just messing with you so it could kill us.” Lance’s hands were wringing circles so quick Keith thought he might burn himself.

“Lance.” He wouldn’t look at Keith.

Keith rested a steady hand on his shaking ones, his other turning Lance to face Keith.

“I love you, too.”

Keith kissed Lance. Lance kissed Keith. And everything was okay. They were home.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. 
> 
> If you'd like to talk or make requests or just stalk me then please do so on my tumblr: 
> 
> http://boysandstars.tumblr.com/
> 
> (Or just type in boysandstars on tumblr)


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